After watching an Angling programme on the tv i am alarmed by the way the presenter treated the fish. The 3 main things that got me were:

1 He left a large carp out in the baking sun for a total of 35 secs in baking sun, try holding your breath in a sauna to see what its like for the fish

2He ripped the hook out of the fishes mouth instead of carefully turning the point back out of its mouth

3 Lastly he procedes to throw the fish back as if its a bag of rubbish

Who was it?? I've always thought that John Wilson treats fish in a shocking manner. Whats the obsession he has where he constanly rubs his whole hand over the flanks of the fish thus removing all the protective mucus that it has?? He should know better....

This whole thing about removing the "protective mucus" is largely an urban legend. Fish do not die, nor are they more prone to "infection" if this mucus is disturbed. They simply secrete more of it.

The point originally was that anglers should not use roughly textured gloves for handling fish. Not because the gloves removed this protective mucus, but because some of the gloves were like sandpaper and could actually cut into the skin and certainly open wounds can become infected. But then someone invented this story about this protective mucus and the dangers of "removing" it and suddenly everyone believed it to be factual.

Grouse

Another one for the Mythbusters thread, I think…

Chickenfish, you got it in one, it was John Wilson.

Flyinghigh

Interesting ..... how do you know that's what it's like for a fish? Unless of course you have gills or perhaps were a fish in a former life.

Whereas I have no argument with your intent and certainly support any call for handling fish sensibly and carefully - unhooking in the water if feasible, making sure you have wet hands and ensuring they're properly recovered prior to release etc etc - let's not lose sight of how tough fish are, a carp, for example, can survive for a considerable period of time out of water.

You may not be aware, but some fish, particularly some saltwater species, respond better to being 'darted' back into the water - ie projected, head first from height - don't know why but it works. Others like grayling and barbel often need time being supported. Experienced anglers know this. Fish are tough creatures.

Just think of the environment fish survive and thrive in - rivers from low and gin clear with high summer temperatures to raging brown floods with huge amounts of suspended material. Ever watched sea trout running in low water and caught them with their bellies rubbed raw or salmon running high water, leaping falls and battering themselves on rocks and boulders? How many of us have caught fish severely damaged by pike or cormorants with gaping wounds and yet they still feed, take a fly and fight as normal.

In the current climate, with the antis, the looney fringe, PETA and the like we are under scrutiny from many quarters but I think we need to maintain a sense of perspective or we'll soon be under pressure to walk the banks equipped with unhooking mats and antiseptic doses to administer to hook 'wounds'.

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In case anyone thinks that's an exaggeration, one of my coarse angling clubs already has a "no unhooking mat, no fishing" rule.

I'm not trying to be Politically correct nor do I call for mats and all that jazz but what I am trying to say is that on national T.V. an ambasador for our sport is making it to casual observers seem barbaric. That is all I'm saying I am not say that all anglers are like this I am just saying that this is sending out negative signals about angling.

Flyinghigh

Well said Lighthouse.

For God's sake let's not introduce "political correctness" into our sport just to pacify the antis.

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How poor a thing, sometimes I find,
Will captivate a greedy mind - Isaac Walton.

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And carpers really do dab antiseptic on any wounds they may have unwittingly inflicted on their portly quarry…